BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard vs Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
Two cards, one Standard Score rubric. The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite scores higher overall at 7.3/10 — but the right pick depends on which components match your spending.
The verdict
StrongTwo $150 travel cards making different bets. The Ascend leads on included travel medical and lounge visits, but BMO Rewards' 0.67¢ point value blunts its multipliers; the Passport skips the 2.5% FX fee and earns Scene+ at a flat, honest 1¢. Cross-border and overseas spenders take the Passport; insurance-first domestic travellers take the Ascend.
See offer · current Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite offer, direct from the issuer
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
| BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard | Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Score | 6.4/10 · Situational | 7.3/10 · Strong |
| Annual fee | $150 (Waived first year (current offer) — for the primary cardholder and authorized users) | $150 (Rebated only if you hold an eligible Scotiabank chequing account (Ultimate Package rebates the full $150; Preferred Package rebates $40) — there is no first-year waiver on the card itself. $50 for each additional card, waived on the first supplementary card under the current offer.) |
| Welcome bonus | Up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points (45,000 on $5K/110 days + 20,000 on $10K/180 days + 35,000 on $20K/12 mo), plus first-year fee waived — offer window to October 31, 2026 | Up to 60,000 Scene+ points (40,000 on $2K/3 mo + 10,000 on $10K/6 mo + 10,000 annual on $40K), plus the $50 fee waived on your first supplementary card — offer ends August 3, 2026 |
| Est. bonus value | ≈ $670 | ≈ $600 |
| First-year net value | ≈ $720 | ≈ $700 |
| Earn rates |
|
|
| Points currency | BMO Rewards | Scene+ |
| No FX fees | No | Yes |
| Lounge access | Yes | Yes |
Where the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard wins
No component wins — its rival scores at least as well on every Standard Score component.
Where the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite wins
- First-year value — scores 7.0/10 on this component
- Ongoing value — scores 7.0/10 on this component
- Flexibility — scores 5.5/10 on this component
- Perk usability — scores 8.5/10 on this component
- Low friction — scores 9.0/10 on this component
- Strategic fit — scores 8.0/10 on this component
Read the full reviews: BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, or see how both rank in Best Travel Credit Cards in Canada.